Taking Issue With Evolution’s Critic

The Rev. Terrence Tobin’s letter of Nov. 27 misleads readers by suggesting that the John Peloza lawsuit has any merit.

For those who missed it, Capistrano Valley High School science instructor John Peloza sued the Capistrano Unified School District because he was censured for refusing to teach evolution in science class and also for proselytizing students between classes. Peloza is now conducting physical education classes.

This suit (that contended evolution was a religion and therefore violated the Constitution) was rejected by the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals, calling it patently frivolous. Undaunted, the radical religious right has vowed to take it to the Supreme Court.

Even though evolution is a scientific fact, I respect the beliefs of fundamentalists who adhere to a strict interpretation of the Bible.

My problem is with the Rev. Tobin, who asserts that only atheists believe in evolution and that Darwin’s “only purpose (in developing evolution) was to move away from God.” These statements show how far out (and intolerant of others) the radical religious right has become.

WILLIAM R. LAKIN

Capistrano Beach

* In his recent letter, the Rev. Terrence Tobin “unchristianly” bent his “facts” to make his case. The facts are:

* Evolution is never taught in any school as a fact, but only as a strongly substantiated theory.

* Atheism is not a religion because atheists do not worship any God. They simply do not want any mystical and absurd religious dogma forced on them or their children.

* John Peloza’s legal suit against the school district caused the waste of thousands of dollars of taxpayers’ money.

* The Rev. Tobin’s letter is just another unrelenting attempt to destroy religious freedom in the United States by breaking down the wall of separation between church and state. The Rev. Tobin wants to institute his own brand of Christianity as the state religion.

JAMES GALLAGHER

Huntington Beach